Henriksen Hooks of Norway is introducing a new three hook boat launch and recovery system at Seawork. The three point system provides naval architects with a valuable new option when designing the layout of workboats up to 12 tonnes. With two of the lifting hooks located in opposite corners of the vessel’s stern and the third in the bow, the new arrangement enables the after-deck to remain completely clear of obstructions. Tools and equipment such as AUVs and towed sonars can then be deployed over the stern without being obstructed by a hook in the centre of the after-deck, as would occur with a two-hook system. The three hooks are linked electrically to ensure that they only open when the boat is being lowered onto the water and the load has come off all three simultaneously. This ensures the safety of the boat’s crew by releasing the boat cleanly and preventing it from being released from its davits before it is completely water borne. If desired, a painter hook can be fitted to the bow so that the boat is kept under control and is prevented from swinging away unrestrained until its final release from the mother vessel. The new launch system is operated by the boat’s coxswain through a control panel near the helm. While the boat is being lowered towards the water the hooks will be switched to standby by the helmsman. When it has settled evenly on the surface and there is no weight on any of the three hooks, they will all open automatically and release the boat. This eliminates the serious hazard of a boat remaining attached to the mother ship by just one lifting line. The Henriksen system has been designed and tested to ensure 100 per cent reliability and even in the event of a loss of electrical power the hooks can still be operated manually in the traditional manner. When the boat is being recovered the three hooks are opened electrically and left open until a crew member has inserted the appropriate lifting ring into each of them and the davit winch operator has been signalled to increase tension and commence lifting the boat on board.
As with the two-hook system that Henriksen introduced to navies and the marine industry in 2016, the electrical system that controls the hooks is more reliable and simpler to install than the mechanical release mechanisms being used until then. This makes the new system the best option for designers who are seeking to maximise the use of the boat’s after-deck without being restricted by the routing requirements of the old mechanical linkages.
Exhibitor; Henriksen
